Will India Extradite Ms. Sheikh Hasina?

In the face of big geopolitical developments, smaller developments often get overlooked. The worsening bilateral relations between South Asia’s giant India and relatively smaller economy Bangladesh in recent days, particularly after the civil war in Bangladesh; and its Prime Minister Ms Sheikh Hasina seeking shelter in India, is one such geopolitics. The incident is not just political, it is more than that.

The Background

In July last year, Bangladesh witnessed a bloodied students’ revolt against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (77), who had been ruling the country for 16 long years. Many people died in Ms Hasina’s action to douse the fire of revolt, which was mostly through the use of force. Finally, however, Ms. Sheikh Hasina had to flee the country after the Army declined to further support her. Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh for India on August 5, 2024 and India offered her political shelter. Soon afterwards on August 8, Noble Prize winner Muhammad Yunus formed an interim government in Bangladesh. 

Why India came forward to provide shelter to Ms. Hasina?

The reason goes back to 1971 with East Pakistan. The British ruled India for over 200 years and when they departed, India became a self-ruled country, albeit with a Partition followed by a nasty bloodshed, memories of which doesn’t let the two nations divided on religious lines, exchange love and fellow-feeling. Pakistan came into being on August 14, 1947, a day after India came into being. But Pakistan was against geographically two portions: West Pakistan and East Pakistan. While India was predominantly a Hindu country though accepted secularism as its principle, Pakistan became a Muslim nation with a religiously-oriented Constitution. People in East Pakistan, however, started feeling that they were not being treated equally and under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, they began a struggle for independence. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the father of Ms. Sheikh Hasina, whom India under the prime ministership of Mrs Indira Gandhi, offered all the support, including military. East Pakistan became Bangladesh on December 16, 1971. Soon, however, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated on August 15, 1977 amidst volatile regional geopolitics. August 15 happened to be the Independence Day for India. Ms. Hasina has been positively disposed towards India and India has been positively disposed towards Sheikh Hasina and her family ever since.

Recent developments

Yesterday (January 10, 2025) Bangladesh reiterated with India its extradition demand of Ms. Sheikh Hasina.

Bangladesh has been asking India for extradition of Ms Sheikh Hasina, who faces investigation for killings during the students’ revolt in July last year. A few days back, India said the visa of Ms Sheikh Hasina had been extended, to which Bangladesh replied: "We have requested India to return Sheikh Hasina as a Bangladeshi citizen. Her status in India has no relevance to this request. It is not a matter of our consideration," reports said quoting Bangladesh foreign ministry.

India-Bangladesh bilateral relation is long and deep

Bangladesh is the only nation in the world constituted after language of the citizens—Bengali. India has a province—West Bengal, where people speak Bengali as their mother tongue. But West Bengal is only a state in the Union of India, while Bangladesh is a nation formed after language spoken by the people—Bengali. Interestingly, features of people of West Bengal in India and people of Bangladesh is very similar. Culturally too. The borders of Bangladesh and West Bengal State of Union of India are porous and often one hears hue and cry in India on illegal immigration from Bangladesh. Though Pakistan too is a Muslim country, public sentiments in India is more negative towards Pakistan than towards Bangladesh.

Passport Revoked

Interim government of Bangladesh has revoked the passport of Ms. Sheikh Hasina, and now tells India that visa extension by India makes it irrelevant.

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal, has issued two arrets warrants against Sheikh Hasina in the past few days. Interestingly, International Crimes Tribunal had been formed to try the collaborators of atrocities of Pakistani troops during its 1971 Liberation War that her own father led.

Is Ms. Sheikha Hasina case alone worsening Bangladesh-India relation?

The answer maybe ‘yes’ and ‘no’.

Sheikh Hasina’s shelter by India is a recent development. South Asia geopolitics revolves around India-China balance of power, though relationship between India and its smaller neighbours is not limited to this alone.

In the past years, anti-India sentiments had been rising in Bangladesh and in recent days there had been reports of persecution of Hindus there during the revolt and post-revolt. However, in India too, public sentiments have tilted towards intolerance of the other, the other predominantly being the Muslims.  Developments in India such as Citizenship Amendment Act, rise of Hindutva in India and Indian media’s anti-Muslim stands are responsible to alter the otherwise cordial relation between Bangladesh and India. The most visible sign is the protest of people in Bangladesh against a State visit to Dhaka by Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi in 2021, an incident that led to many deaths. There have been cries by people in India for making India into a Hindu nation, impact of which is felt in the neighbourhood.

Will India Extradite Ms. Sheikh Hasina?

India’s possibility of extraditing Ms. Sheikh Hasina appears very remote, though Bangladesh argues that it has an extradition agreement signed with India. Ms. Hasina is not just any Prime Minister of Bangladesh, she is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whom India supported to free East Pakistan from Pakistan. Thus, extraditing Ms. Hasina will make India appear lose a battle, and not just to Bangladesh but to Pakistan—a battle that it had won in 1971. Even with a right-wing sentiment-led BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sheikh Hasina’s extradition appears very remote. And if Mr Modi does, BJP’s vote bank will look at it as a win by Pakistan and the Muslims—which the BJP will not like.  The issue of extradition of Ms. Hasina will is thus expected to snowball into a further deep in bilateral relations between Bangladesh-India. However, India will have little to bear in terms of international pressure on the issue owing to the sheer geographical size of the country and the strength of its economy.